Reimagining Time: A Light–Speed Tour of Einstein's Theory of Relativity

A quirky, funny, and accessible blend of science and art that delves into the heart of Einstein’s theory of relativity
 
“A fascinating introduction to the core concepts of special relativity. The unique illustrated format and elegant writing will appeal to readers who have not encountered these ideas before.”―Chad Orzel, author of How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog

It was a link to Albert Einstein’s 1905 paper―an early attempt at explaining his revolutionary ideas on space, time, and matter―that drew Tanya Bub into his imaginative vision of the world. What particularly struck her was how Einstein interwove words and math to create clear visuals illustrating his theories. As an artist, she naturally started doodling as she worked her way through his concepts, creating drawings that intuitively demonstrated Einstein’s core principles.
 
In Reimagining Time, Tanya Bub teams up with her father, the distinguished physicist Jeffrey Bub, to create a quirky and accessible take on one of science’s most revolutionary discoveries. Blending original art and text, they guide readers―even nonmathematicians―through Einstein’s theory of special relativity to reveal truths about our universe: time is relative, lengths get shorter with motion, energy and mass are interchangeable, and the universe has a speed limit.

". . . an imaginative collaboration between a graphic artist and a professional physicist . . . after finishing this charming and genuinely informative introduction to the principles of relativity, one cannot help but want to play along."--Paul Dicken, Los Angeles Review of Books

"Hop aboard the relativity train with this lively and creative introduction to the most significant ideas of Einstein's relativity. A spirited intellectual adventure!"--David Kaiser, author of Quantum Legacies: Dispatches from an Uncertain World

"Understanding Einstein's theory of special relativity can be hard. In the engaging and artfully illustrated Reimagining Time Tanya and Jeffrey Bub make the effort to understand it immensely enjoyable without compromising on correctness and rigor."--Anil Ananthaswamy, author of Through Two Doors at Once

"Tanya Bub and Jeffrey Bub have done it again! Reimagining Time is a delightful read, resulting in a conceptual understanding of one of the most important paradigm shifts in physics. Totally brilliant!"--Tiffany Nichols, Harvard University

"Reimagining Time is a fascinating introduction to the core concepts of special relativity. The unique illustrated format and elegant writing will appeal to readers who have not encountered these ideas before."--Chad Orzel, author of How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog

"Most introductions to Einstein's theory of special relativity teach one to accept its puzzling aspects. With clever narration and illustration, Reimagining Time helps you understand relativity."--Craig Callender, author of What Makes Times Special?

 

Tanya Bub is an artist and sculptor. Jeffrey Bub is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland. They are coauthors of Totally Random: Why Nobody Understands Quantum Mechanics (A Serious Comic on Entanglement.